Typewriting machine



May 13, 1941. G, HAMMER 2,241,993

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Dec. 27, 1958 22 25 l ig. 1 0

Patented May 13, 1941 UITED STATES PAT? FFEQE TYPEWRITING MACHINE Application December 27, 1938, Serial No. 247,883

7 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to typewriting machines of the type comprising a flat platen, a line space frame movable forwardly and rearwardly of the platen and a type carriage mounted for forward and rearward movement with the line space frame and for lateral movement with relation to the line space frame in letter spacing direction and return.

Machines of this type are usually provided with a paper clamp for clamping the left hand margins of the work sheets or forms in position against the platen. The machines also are ordinarily provided with a paper clamp for clamping the right hand margins of the work sheets,

against the platen if said sheets happen to be of substantially the same width as the platen, which is infrequently the case. Certain of these machines are further provided with a depressor plate mounted on the forward rail of the line space frame and extending transversely of said frame for holding down the work sheets adjacent said rail.

When work sheets or forms narrower than the platen are used as is more frequently the case,

the paper clamp at the left of the platen frame and the depressor plate, hold down the adjacent portions of the work sheets but the right hand margins of said sheets are left free and these margins often curl up and are caught by some portion of the type carriage, which extends down to points relatively close to the work sheets, during the return movement of the carriage. This results in rumpling or tearing of the sheets so that the work has to be entirely done over.

In order to avoid the above difficulty, the inventor has provided a work sheet holding tape for holding down the right hand margins of the sheets which are narrower than the platen.

A feature of the invention consists in mounting the tape on the line space frame so that it is moved forwardly and rearwardly with said frame and is entirely out of the way when the work sheets are placed in or removed from the machine.

The above and other features of the invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the construction therein shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the platen frame, platen and line space frame of a typewriting machine of the Elliott Fisher type, having the invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation partly broken away, illustrating the parts shown in Figure 1 and in addition the lower portion of the type carriage in position on the line space frame,

Figure 3 is a detail view in vertical section of the forward rail of the line space frame and certain associated parts showing the depressor plate and the forward end of the work sheet holding tape attached thereto,

Figure 4 is a detail plan view showing the construction by which the forward end of the tape is attached to the depressor plate, and

Figure 5 is a detail view partly in side elevation and partly in section, illustrating the construction for supporting and locating the rear end portion of the tape.

This invention is illustrated in this application as applied to a machine of the type shown and described in the patent to Foothorap, No. 1,904,127, dated April 18, 1933. Only so much of the machine has been illustrated in the drawing as is considered necessary to show the application of the invention to this machine.

The machine shown in the drawing comprises a rectangular platen frame comprising substantially parallel spaced side rails 2 within which is mounted for vertical movement a substantially flat platen 4. Fixed to each of the side rails and extending over the corresponding margin of the platen are paper clamps 6 and 8 for clamping the paper between the respective clamps and the platen.

Mounted to travel over the platen, longitudinally of the platen frame, is a line space frame of the usual construction. The line space frame comprises the spaced front and rear rails IO and I2 extending over the side rails 2 of the platen frame and the side bars I4 connecting the ends of said rails and embracing the platen frame. The line space frame is provided with supporting rolls I 6 mounted on the front rail If! adjacent the opposite ends thereof and engaging tracks formed by the upper edges of the side rails 2 of the platen frame and with supporting rolls i8 also engaging said tracks. The rolls M are fixed to a shaft 29 journaled at its ends in supporting brackets 22 secured to and preferably formed integral with the side bars Id of the line space frame. Gears 24 are also secured to this shaft and are arranged to engage racks 26 fixed respectively to the upper margins of the side rails 2 on the outer sides of said rails. The shaft it, which is known as the line space shaftQis operated to effect the line spacing movement of the line space frame and may be operated to produce a continuous movement of the line space frame forwardly and rearwardly over the plate.'

The line space frame also comprises the spaced bracket plates 28 secured to the brackets 22 and the upper and lower cross bars 30 and 32 connecting said bracket plates to strengthen the line space frame.

Mounted on the line space frame to travel transversely of the platen in letter spacing direction and return, is a type carriage 34, only certain parts of which are illustrated in this application. This type carriage supports the type bar levers, the keys and the connections for actuating said levers from the keys. The type carriage is provided with supporting rolls 36 and 38 engaging tracks formed by the upper edges respectively of the front and rear rails lll and l2 of the line space frame and with guide rolls 40 engaging the forward and rear faces of the rail 2 to guide the type carriage during its movement on said tracks.

The type bar mechanism is not illustrated in the drawing. Mounted on the type carriage is a supporting plate 42, known as the lower deck plate, to which certain parts of the type bar mechanism are secured. Attached to this plate and located below the same on each side of the carriage is a plate 44 forming part of the ribbon guide mechanism, these plates 44 being located relatively close to the platen as illustrated in Figure 2. v

The type mechanism, the type carriage, the mechanism for imparting letter space movements to the carriage and for controlling said movements, the line space frame, the mechanisms for moving the line space frame forwardly and rearwardly over the platen, the platen, the mechanism for actuating and controlling the movements of the platen and all other parts briefly described above preferably have substantially the same construction, arrangement and mode of operation as the corresponding parts of the machine illustrated and described in the Foothorap patent referred to above.

The machine is also provided with what is known as a depressor plate mounted on the forward rail H) of the line space frame. This depressor plate comprises a .body 46 preferably made of sheet metal and suitably shaped sup- 50, supported on the front rail l 0. The depressor plate is acted upon by coiled springs 52 which tend to depress the rear portion of the plate and maintain the plate constantly in yielding engagement with the work sheets supported on the platen, the movement of the depressor plate under the action of the springs being limited by suitable stops when the forward part of the line space frame is lifted above the platen frame.

As above stated the forms or other work sheets which are typed upon this machine are, in most cases, of less Width than the platen. In placing the forms in the machine, the line space frame is pushed back to the rear of the platen frame, the platen is depressed by the depression of the foot pedal, the forms are placed on the platen and are located to position their left hand margins beneath the left hand work clamp 6 and the platen is then released to clamp the left hand margins of the forms between the same and the clamp 6. The line space frame is then moved forwardly to bring the type mechanism into position for typing. Thus the left hand margins of the forms are clamped against the platen and the portions thereof adjacent the front rail are held yieldingly against the platen by the depressor plate. This, however, leaves the right hand margins of the forms to the rear of the depressor plate free and these margins often curl up to such an extent that they are caught by some part of the type carriage such as the plate 44 during the return movement of the carriage and the forms are thereby crumpled or torn. This often ruins the forms so that a substantial amount of typing has to be done over.

The present machine is provided with a form holding tape indicated at 54, secured to the line space frame and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof preferably substantially parallel with the side rails 2 and with the direction of movement of said frame for holding down the right hand margins of the forms. This tape, which preferably consists of a thin flexible band of steel or other suitable metal, is detachably secured to the line space frame and is mounted thereon so that it may be adjusted laterally of the frame to conform to the margins of forms of different widths. The forward end of the tape is attached to the rear portion of the depressor plate by means of a strip or bar 56 fixed at its ends to the upper face of said plate as by welding and spaced from the plate between its end portions. The forward end of the tape 54 is inserted beneath the strip 56 and bent over said strip in the manner clearly shown in the draw- The tape extends rearwardly from the strip 56 beneath the rear rail l2 of the line space frame and beneath the shaft 20 and cross bar '32 and its rear end portion is attached to a securing device mounted on the cross bars 30 and 32. This securing device comprises a relatively stiff strip 58 having its upper end bent to hook over the upper cross bar 30. To the lower end of this strip is secured a spring clip 60 arranged to embrace the lower cross bar 32 and the strip 58 extends some distance below this cross bar, its lower end being bent forwardly at an angle to the body of the strip and forming a positioning device for the tape 54. The rear end portion of the tape extends underneath the lower end of the strip 58 and is bent upwardly over the rear face of said strip and is attached to the strip by a coiled spring 62 connecting the same with the strip which maintains a constant tension upon the tape. The spring is preferably detachably connected with the end of the tape to .enable the tape readily to be removed from the machine.

In its operation, the tape is arranged'to extend over the right hand margins of the forms in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 to prevent these margins from being displaced into position to be engaged by the lower portion of the type carriage during the return movement of the carriage. In Figs. 1 and 2 the forms are indicated at 64. The tape may be readily adjusted laterally of the line space frame to suit forms of different widths by adjusting the for ward end of the tape in different positions along the bar 56 and adjusting the strip 58 in correspending positions along the cross rods 30' and 32. Any other suitable construction may be provided to enable the tape to be adjusted laterally of the line space frame. I

The tape may be quickly and easily removed from the machine by unhookin'g the spring from the rear end of the tape and then drawing the tape forwardly underneath the strip 56. The supporting strip 58 may also be removed if desired, by first moving the lower end portion of the strip to disengage the spring clip 60 from the cross bar 32 and then unhooking the upper end portion of the strip from the cross bar 30. The form holding tape and the supporting strip 58 may be just as quickly and easily applied to the machine by reversing the operations.

In cases where two or more sets of forms of different widths are being typed, two or more of the form holding tapes may be applied to the machine to hold the right hand margins of the respective sets of forms in position. When two form holding tapes are employed, the front ends of these tapes may both be connected to the same strip 56 or two separate strips 56 may be attached to the depressor plate in any desired relation.

One of the principal features of advantage in the present construction is that the tape is mounted upon the line space frame so that it is out of the way when the line space frame is moved back to a position for the insertion of forms or to a position clear of the forms which may be in the machine for the changing of forms. With this construction the forms may be much more quickly and readily placed in position and removed from the machine than with constructions in which the tape is mounted on the platen frame. forward end of the tape is attached to the depressor plate, this end thereof moves vertically with the plate and is always located considerably below the lowermost portion of the type carriage. The lower end of the strip 58 holds down the rear portion of the tape so that the length of tape between the same and the depressor plate lies substantially below the lower part of the type carriage.

In certain instances, the left hand margins of the forms are not placed in position adjacent the left hand rail of the platen frame and beneath the clamping plate 6 but are spaced at some distance from this rail. In such cases the forms are liable to be caught by the lower part of the carriage and rumpled or torn during the letter spacing movement of the carriage. To prevent this result the form holding tape may be located so as to hold down the left hand margins of these forms.

The tape is preferably made as narrow as practicable since it is often necessary to position the tape over the ruled line separating two columns on the form. The tape may be constructed in the form of a wire preferably of suitable spring metal having its forward end attached to the strip 55 in substantially the same manner as the tape 54 and having its rear end formed in coils to form a spring corresponding to the spring 62 and detachably connected to the strip 58. It is to be understood that the term tape employed in the claims is sufiiciently broad to cover a wire of any suitable cross section as well as a flat strip.

The tape may be readily applied to existing machines, the only change required being the securing of the bar 56 to the depressor plate.

Having explained the nature and objects of the invention and having specifically described a construction embodying the invention in its preferred form, what is claimed is:

1. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a platen frame, a substantially flat platen mounted for vertical movement on said frame, a line space frame supported for forward and rearward movement over the platen, a type carriage Since the carried by the line space frame for movement therewith and also movable laterally with rela tion to said frame over the platen, a work sheet holding-strip mounted on the line space frame for forward and rearward movement therewith and extending forwardly and rearwardly over the platen in the direction of movement of said frame for holding down below the lower part of the type carriage a lateral margin of a work sheet placed on the platen and means movably mounted on the line space frame and having a part thereof movable vertically with relation to said frame for supporting the forward end of said strip for vertical yielding movement relatively to said frame.

2. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a platen frame, a substantially flat platen supported on said frame, a line space frame mounted on the platen frame for forward and rearward movement over the platen, a type carriage carried by the line space frame for movement therewith and also movable laterally on said frame over the platen, a paper holding strip attached to the line space frame for forward and rearward movement therewith for holding down below the lower part of the type carriage a lateral edge of a paper sheet placed on the platen and having its forward end portion vertically movable to accommodate different thicknesses of paper between the same and the platen and pressed yieldingly toward the platen and a device movably mounted on the line space frame for supporting the forward end of the strip' for vertical movement.

3. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a platen frame, a vertically movable substantially flat platen supported on said frame, a

line space frame mounted for forward and rearward movement over the platen, a type carriage supported on the line space frame for movement therewith and also movable laterally on said frame over the platen, a depressor plate mounted for movement on the forward portion of the line space frame in a direction toward :and from the platen and pressed yieldingly toward the platen and a form holding band attached at its rear end to the line space frame and at its forward end to the depressor plate and vertically movable with said plate.

4. A .typewriting machine having, in combination, a platen frame, a substantially flat platen mounted in said frame, a line space frame supported on the platen frame for forward and rearward movement over the platen, a type carriage mounted on the line space frame for movement therewith and also for lateral movement over the platen and a form holding strip attached to the line space frame for movement forwardly and rearwardly therewith for holding down below the lower part of the type carriage a lateral edge of a form located on the platen, vertically movable means for supporting the forward end of the strip and means for holding said strip constantly under yielding tension exerted longitudinally of the strip. 7

5. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a substantially flat platen, a line space frame mounted to move forwardly and rearwardly over the platen in line spacing direction and return and comprising side bars and cross members connecting said side bars, a type carriage mounted on the line space frame for forward and rearward movement therewith and also for letter spacing movement with relation to said frame over the platen, a depressor plate supported on 'the forward portion of the line space frame for movement towardand from the platen, a work sheet holding strip mounted on the line space frame for forward and rearward movement therewith and extending in the direction of movement of said frame, means for detachably connecting the forward end of the strip to the depressor plate and means for detachably supporting the rear end of the strip on one or more of said cross members.

6. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a platen frame, a plate-like platen movably supported in said frame, :a line space frame mounted on the platen frame for forward and rearward movement over the platen and comprising side bars and cross members connecting said side bars, a type carriage carried by the line space frame formovement therewith and also movable on the line space frame in letter spacing and return directions, a supporting member movably mounted on one of said cross members and a work sheet holding band mounted on the line space frame for holding down a lateral edge of a work sheet supported on the platen, said band having its forward end supported by said supporting member for vertical movement with relation to the latter-cross member and adjustable laterally with relation to said supporting member and its rear end supported by and adjustable laterally with relation to other of said cross members.

7. A typewriting machine having, in combination, :a substantially flat platen, a line, space frame mounted for forward and rearward movement over the platen and comp-rising spaced side members and cross bars connecting said side members, a type carriage supported on the line space frame for movement therewith in line spacing direction and return and also movable laterally on said frame in letter spacing direction and return, a depress-or plate movably supported on the forward portion of the line space frame, a form holding tape having its forward end connected to and adjustable laterally with relation to the depressor plate and its rear end connected to and adjustable laterally with relation to one or more of said cross bars. I

- IRVIN G. HAMMER. 

